The present disclosure relates generally to laser beam propagation and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for preventing air ionization at regions of high laser beam intensity.
Laser beam pulses may be used in various industrial and military applications. For example, laser beam pulses can be reflected off of a selected target in order to determine a distance to the target. Devices for generating and recording such laser beam pulses generally include a lens system that changes the width of the beam. The laser beam pulse generally passes through a focal point of the lens system. As the laser beam pulse passes through the focal point, the energy density of the laser beam pulse can become high enough to ionize air at the focal point, which can impair the laser beam for its intended use. Therefore, there is a need for preventing air ionization resulting from high energy densities in laser beam pulse propagation devices.